New guidance has been published for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes who have kidney disease.

The diabetes nursing group Trend UK has issued the guidance to help doctors and nurses prescribe treatments for people with type 2 diabetes who are experiencing renal impairments.

The document provides recommendations on what dosages of the medications people should be given in relation to the degree of renal impairment. Alongside the document is an accompanying e-learning module.

There is advice on therapies given to people with type 2 diabetes experiencing renal problems, including sulphonylureas, metformin, glinides and pioglitazone as well as SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors.

Diabetic kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy) is typically caused by prolonged high blood sugar levels over several years. Almost a quarter of people with type 1 diabetes and up to 40 per cent of those with type 2 diabetes are estimated to develop the condition at some point in their lives.

On the positive side, kidney disease can be held back and there is some evidence to suggest that very well controlled diabetes may even help the kidneys to heal.

Trend UK is a working group of diabetes nurses launched in 2009 at the request of the then National Clinical Director of Diabetes, Dr Rowan Hillson MBE for a collective voice to represent diabetes nurses.

The guidance is the latest is a series of publications and resources to increase the provision of good-quality and reliable information available to nurses working in diabetes care.

The co-chairs are experienced nurse consultants and include June James, Debbie Hicks and Jill Hill, who all bring different skills and backgrounds to the table having worked in a variety of settings and in roles including for the Royal College of Nursing Diabetes Forum, Diabetes UK and PCDS.